The Progressive Movement

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The process of industrialization and immigration led to the Progressive Movement. Industrialization is the use of machines in factories to produce goods. Immigration is the movement of people from one place to another. The Progressive Movement attempted to deal with corruption in politics and big business. All of these issues helped to shape the American nation and its people. After the Civil War, the development of improved industrial methods and the arrival of masses of immigrants eager for factory jobs launched a new era of mass production in the United States. The nation turned its efforts toward economic recovery and expansion. America's abundant supply of natural resources, such as coal and oil, encouraged investment. Much of this investment came from already industrialized countries like Germany, Great Britain, and France whose business owners looked for new investment opportunities in the United States. These investors put money into the work of mechanics and engineers with the expertise to develop new, more efficient ways of mass-producing goods. Machines benefited the United States by allowing business owners to specialize in the production of goods and manufacture them in large quantities to distribute throughout the nation or export. As a result, the cost of mass-produced goods went down as their quantity went up causing industrial profits to rise. With the creation of transcontinental railroads and telephones, marketing nationally was available to distribute these goods. The invention of cans and refrigerators increased the availability of food, thereby improving the quality of life for many of the nation's city-dwellers. Fleeing religious and political persecution and poor economic conditions, millions of people began to move about the globe, with a high concentration coming to the United States. Non-native born migrants came to the United
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